Methanol Plant at Libyan Port Shut after Accidental Blast
A methanol plant in the Libyan oil port of Brega has stopped operations after an accidental explosion caused by a gas leak, an official said on Tuesday. The plant will remain shut until safe operations can be guaranteed, but it was not clear how long this would take, said Issa Mukhtar, an official at Sirte Oil Company which runs the plant. One worker was injured by the explosion which occurred early on Saturday and was caused by a leak in a natural gas heating unit, Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) said. Firefighters dealt with the blast, which could be heard across the surrounding area, a Sirte Oil engineer said. (Reporting by Ayman al-Warfalli Writing by Aidan Lewis; editing by David Evans)
Libya Reaches Deal to Reopen Brega Oil Port
Libya state oil company National Oil Corp (NOC) has reached a deal with security guards to end a protest at eastern Brega oil port, which is expected to allow the terminal to reopen on Tuesday, a company spokesman said. Reopening Brega would allow the state-run Sirte Oil Company to start producing again and further boost Libya's output after an end to other port and oilfield protests. Late last week, the NOC said production was around 555,000 barrels per day. (Reporting by Feras Bosalum; writing by Patrick Markey, editing by David Evans)